Youth Pheasant Clinic A Success Thanks To Local Sportsmen's Groups

LEWISTON - With society changing and hunting not as accessible to young people as in the past, several local sportsmen's groups and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) teamed up on Saturday, November 6 to expose twenty young hunters to the thrills of upland game bird hunting. "There were a lot of excited kids today," said Jay Roach, President of the North Idaho Pheasants Forever Chapter. "We had a lot of fun, they learned a lot and I'm sure they're all hooked on pheasant hunting." For most of the young hunters, pursuing the upland game birds was the highlight, but they also learned about wildlife conservation and were be able to hone their marksmanship skills shooting sporting clays at the Lewiston Gun Club. "I had trouble hitting the clays at first, but Mr. Roach showed me some tricks and I'll soon be out shooting both my older brothers," said bright-eyed 12 year-old Cindy Repp of Lewiston. But competition was not the clinic's intention. "The main goal was to increase the interest young people have in upland game hunting and the importance of wildlife conservation," says Roach. "Pheasants Forever is known for its dedication to the enhancement of wildlife, but public awareness and education are also very important goals of our organization." Each youth had opportunities to harvest three roosters, with most being successful in bagging at least one. Safety, ethics, and sportsmanship was emphasized throughout the clinic. Department volunteer hunter education instructors assisted, as well as over a dozen members of the Snake River Gun Dog and Sportsmen Association's, Lewiston Gun Club and Clearwater Point Dog Club. Little Canyon Shooting Preserve donated 20 pheasants, with 40 birds purchased at a discount from the Flying B Ranch of Grangeville. IDFG Clearwater Regional Supervisor, Cal Groen, who taught the youth how to properly clean their birds and shared several cooking recipes, was impressed with the young hunters and the amount of community support for the clinic. "It's obvious that these kids paid attention and took the advice from the club members," Groen said. "They've all helped for years, and once again, without it, this clinic would not have been possible."